YOU SEXY MOTHER! author Jodie Hedley-Ward shares some exerts from her YSM Body Bible on getting back and staying in shape.

1. After recently having a baby, I don’t have any time to pamper myself – any tips?

You don’t have to do it all alone. Make sure you ask your husband or partner for support so you can start carving out some vital ‘you time’. Light some candles and slip into a hot bubble bath in the evening before bed. Pop on a face mask and let the water relax your every muscle. Getting out in the morning (with or without baby in the buggy) can do wonders for your sense of self. You can clear your head whilst soaking up vitamin D from the sun – a proven energy booster that will help you feel good in no time! Remember too – babies don’t know whether they are wearing designer booties or not… Don’t be afraid to spend some time and money on yourself sometimes, it doesn’t ALL have to be about baby. Be kind to yourself too!

2. I don’t feel sexy any more – any styling/clothes buying advice to help me feel sexy again?

Read More >>

The eternal question . “Is it okay to have sex during pregnancy?” For some, the thought of having sex is the last thing on their mind and a negative answer to this question would be a huge relief. They’re tired, sore, moody and suffering from morning sickness. Their body has been taken over by all sorts of hormones, their bottom is maintaining the same growth rate as their belly, their breasts have taken on a life of their own and those long awaited baby “flutters” are more like lying under a catwalk full of stiletto-heeled models.

Sex?

Read More >>

What happened to rejoicing in the miracle of giving birth and producing this gorgeous wee person you have in your arms? Why is the miracle now directed more at whether you can leave the maternity hospital in your skinny jeans?

The answer will be ricocheting round in your head, something you’ve heard but until the birth of your baby, were part of. The pressured, fast paced 21^st century world we live in. The desire to keep going, to put on a brave face, career opportunities not to be missed, bills to pay, holidays to go on…Suddenly, this world came to a cataclysmic halt. You were handed one of the largest items you’ve ever taken ownership of and it didn’t come with a manual. A baby. And along with that exquisite wee person came the extra kilos, a dent in your bank balance and the aforementioned skinny jeans.  Which you can no longer wear.

Read More >>

Jodie Hedley-Ward author of 'You Sexy Mother'

Don’t you just love this beautiful quote by Marianne Williamson, the author of ‘A Return to Love’…

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.’ We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?”

Read More >>

Body shape and the danger of comparison

Take a moment to consider just how many times we compare ourselves with others in any one day? At the gym as we look in the mirror on our Swiss Ball. At the supermarket as we notice how the women around us are dressed. At playgroup or at the park – whose children are behaving the best?

Have you ever noticed how even when you ‘win’ at this game, you still feel bad about playing it? Even when you notice that someone else’s bottom is bigger or their kids are behaving worse than yours, something inside you feels uncomfortable – it’s like even when you win, you lose.

Turning motherhood into a competitive journey is never going to fill our hearts with joy. It robs us of a sense of connection with others and fuels the fire of jealousy and feelings of inadequacy. It’s nothing more than a poor substitute for doing the work required to live an authentic and meaningful life.

Next time you feel less than perfect or less than worthy, consider this…

Read More >>

Telling tales can be fun! As long as you remember they are just tales…

Depending on what stage of your pregnancy you’re at, you are bound to come across what some call “words of wisdom” but are probably better known as “old wives tales”.

Let’s liken it a little to medical students. When they are at certain stages of their training, they self diagnose. They truly believe they have every ailment in their textbooks. Be forewarned pregnant & breastfeeding women of the world – you could fall into this same trap! Either take the sayings with a good old pinch of proverbial salt or snap that book shut, force quit, move to trash!

Granted, they are good for a giggle… Take the following three tales for example:

Read More >>

Congratulations, you’re pregnant! We’re thrilled and delighted about that amazing event and all the excitement surrounding it. There’ll be all sorts of thoughts rocketing around in your head and just when you’ve got them collected, you’ll take a deep breath and eek – you realize your lingerie’s too tight!

Read More >>

We had a ball creating the HOTmilk EverAfter campaign and hope that you LOVE the resultant images as much as we do. ( Had you picked up that they are each inspired by a classic fairytale story? )

Here you can play a wee slide show of the range plus if you like you can watch them in full screen or even download the image collection to your own computer.

Enjoy them, pass them on, and most importantly tell us what you think!

It’s all about expectations really.

You’re expecting a baby, you’re expecting to finish work a week before the baby arrives and you’re expecting to go back to work when that perfect baby you’re currently expecting settles into a routine at three months of age. And then he/she can pop off to nursery school when the creche you’re expecting to get a place at, confirms. Oh, and yeah, you’re expecting to be back in your bikini by then too, because that’s what they do in the mags. Right? Wrong. Big, fat wrong!

Read More >>

“I think what you ladies do is awesome. I am a mother of a 2 year old girl already and we have one on the way. I was just thinking the other day that I wanted to see if anyone made maternity lingerie because I wanted to buy some. Thought I could spice things up a little.  So I just wanted to say thank you for doing what you do ”

Saritha